Recently, software defined networking (SDN) has been recognized as a next generation network management system for packetized data communication. SDN includes a control plane, i.e., a system that makes decisions about where traffic is sent, and a data plane, i.e., a system that forwards traffic to its destination. Network devices reside in the data plane, and interface with the control plane through a control plane/data plane interface. SDN manages network devices through abstraction of lower level functionality by decoupling the control plane from the data plane. SDN enables network administrators to have programmable central control of network traffic without requiring physical access to the network's switches. SDN creates a logical network control plane where a network switch can forward packets and a separate server can run the network control plane. The decoupling allows for the control plane to be implemented using a different distribution model than the data plane.
Telecommunication operators are interested in adopting SDN, and the Open Networking Foundation (ONF) has standardized a protocol, OPENFLOW™, for communication between the control plane and the data plane. During the upgrade from existing management systems to SDN-based management systems, both management systems will co-exist.
Conventional telecommunication network nodes are configured to work with a designated management system using a designated protocol. Different management protocols are based on different distribution models, and telecommunication network nodes that operate in accordance with one distribution model generally exhibit anomalous behavior if they are managed in accordance with another distribution model.
As such, upgrading an existing management system to an SDN-based management system requires replacement of all deployed telecommunication nodes with nodes adapted to SDN-based management; i.e., replacement of an entire network. Such replacement is enormously expensive and time-consuming, and causes disruption of service. For access network systems, the upgrade requires replacement of entire customer premises equipment (CPE).
Thus it would be of advantage to find an efficient way to operate existing telecommunication network nodes in accordance with heterogeneous management systems.